The present invention relates to electrical switches, particularly to snap-action rocker switches of the general type exemplified by that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,734,959 to Immel, although certain aspects of the invention have a broader application.
A snap action switch of the type referred to has a handle member tiltable in one direction or the other from a center position, respectively to open or close circuits connectable between a terminal connected to a snap-action spring member carrying contacts on the ends thereof and terminals respectively extending to stationary contacts positioned opposite the ends of the spring member. The spring member most advantageously has a continuous peripheral portion surrounding an opening into which a pair of aligned terminals extend from the opposite ends of the spring member. The spring member is initially deformed into a given configuration and is supported so the two halves of the spring member can be snapped separately into a second configuration.
In the snap switch disclosed in said U.S. Pat. No. 2,734,959, the snap-action is achieved by depressing one tongue or the other by moving one of two operating members controlled by the handle member, which operating members are engaged respectively when the handle member is tilted in one direction or the other with respect to a central position. The contacts at the ends of the spring member make or break connection with stationary contacts placed adjacent thereto in one or the other of the two configurations of each half of the spring member. The use of a snap-action spring member for making or breaking contact is important in preventing or minimizing arcing and wear of the contacts.
One object of the invention is to provide an improved modified version of the type of rocker switch described above, preferably but not necessarily having the snap action spring member described, which can be manufactured at a lower cost. A related object of the invention is to provide a rocker switch as just described which can be mass produced reliably without the parts thereof being made to very close tolerances.
Another object of the invention is to provide a rocker switch as described which can be manufactured to operate in a number of different modes, such as a two position switch where the switch is self-holding in one or both positions thereof, or as a three position switch where the switch is self-holding in from one to three positions thereof by merely varying the shape of one of the parts thereof, thereby greatly reducing the complexity and variety of parts needed to manufacture a line of switches having the various modes of operation described.